Refining the TPACK framework: a Fuzzy Delphi approach to 21st-century competency and self-efficacy constructs

Globalisation demands proficient English educators to produce graduates competent in the English language for the 21st century. Achieving this goal necessitates optimising teacher training programs, yet challenges persist, such as ESL pre-service teachers’ unpreparedness in utilising technology. The Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework, while commonly used to assess teachers’ technology integration competencies, falls short of fully incorporating 21st-century competencies and self-efficacy, both of which are essential to a teacher’s professional development. Hence, this study seeks expert consensus on modifying the TPACK framework for ESL pre-service teachers within teacher training programs. This study employed the Design and Development research design (Type 2). The Fuzzy Delphi method was used to analyse data from 12 appointed experts. The experts concurred on the need to integrate both the 21st-century competencies construct, and the self-efficacy construct into the modified TPACK framework. This research contributes to the discourse on teacher training by recognising the essential roles of 21st-century competency and self-efficacy. It can potentially enhance pedagogical practices and address the evolving educational landscape. Further investigations could explore into ESL pre-service teachers’ specific challenges, advancing scholarly understanding of effective teacher preparation.